Vehicle frame or running-gear.



No. 667,666. Patented Apr. 22, 1902.

A. BATH.

VEHICLE FRAME 0B RUNNING GEAR.

(Appficatim': filed Apr. 6, 1901.)

(No Moder.)

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r:-l Fig.2 zalnmmlmx 79 a 3 WITNESSES i4 INVENTOR an I 6 BY ATTORNEY.

T AIENT Grinch.

ABRAHAM BATI-I, OF- NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO BLOOMER VEHICLE COMPANY.

VEHiCLE FRAME OR RUNNING-GEAR.

SPEGIFICATIQN formingpart Of Letters Fatent N0. 697,966, dated April 22,1902.

Application filed April 6, 1901. Serial No. 54,569. (No model.)

To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM BATH, a subject of the King of Great Britainand Ireland, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan,

New York city, in the countyof New York and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Frames orRunning-Gear, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to frames or runninggear for carriages or similarvehicles, more especially for vehicles having three wheels; and itsobject is to provide an improved form of an inexpensive, light, andgraceful frame or running-gear which shall at the same time be easilyassembled, durable, and capable of resisting all such strains as it maybe subjected to.

The invention consists in the novel construction, combination, andarrangement of parts, as hereinafter more particularly described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a vehiclehaving a frame or running-gear constructed according to my invention.Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same; Fig. 3, a plan View; Fig. 4, a planview, enlarged, of the front part of the running-gear; Fig. 5, alongitudinal vertical section show ing the construction of thefifth-wheel; and Figs. 6 and 7, detail views hereinafter moreparticularly described.

In carrying myinveniion into effect I provide two rear wheels 8 S and apreferably some- 5 what smaller front wheel 0. The axle for the rearwheels is duplex, being formed of two parts 10 10, having their middleportions separated by a short distance, but having their ends bentdownward and toward each other and secured together and to castings 11on each side of the vehicle. I prefer to construct the duplex axle ofsuitably-sized metal tubing and braze the ends together and onto nipplesprojecting from the castings 11; but it is obvious that the same maybeconstructed of any suitable material and form and may be securedtogether and to said castings in any suitable manner without departingfrom the spirit of my invention. Each of said castings 11 has alaterally-projecting portion constituting the axle-spindle, upon whichthe corresponding rear wheel is placed and secured in any suitablemanner. The front wheel is mounted in a fork, each side of which is\l-shaped, the upper ends of each 5 5 member 12 of each V being securedto the plate 13, which forms the lower member of the fifth-wheel device.The plate 13 is centrally vertically perforated, the perforation beingscrew-threaded, and it is provided with an enlarged front portion 14, towhich is bolted or otherwise secured a wooden bar 15, to which the shaftor pole of the vehicle maybe secured. Strengthening braces 16 extendfrom near the ends of the bar 15 to the rear portion of the plate 13.Over the plate 13 lies a casting 17, which forms the upper member of thefifth-wheel device and which is provided with a downwardly-projectingrim 1S and rearwardly extending projections 19, (see Fig. 4,) the endsof which are vertically cleft, as shown in Fig. 7, which is a sectiontaken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 4. The casting 17 is centrally perforatedto correspond to the perforation in the plate 13, and a bolt 20 and nut21 serve to pivotally secure the plate 13 and casting 17 together,forming the fifthwheel.

The two reaches 22 22 connect the fifth-whee1 to the rear axle. Thesereaches I prefer to form of wood, flat on the bottom and rounded on theupper surface, and provided with a vertical cleft extending upwardnearly to the uppersurface, forming alongitudinal channel orrecess.Intothesaidcleftorchannellinsert 8: the stem of a T-iron, the arms ofwhich lie against the'flat lower surface of the wood and the whole beingsecured together at intervals by bands, as shown in Fig. 6, which is avertical section of the reach at about the middle of its length and inwhich 23 represents the wooden portion, 24 the T-iron, and 25 one of theencircling bands. Instead of the said bands I may of course employ boltspassing through the wood and said T-iron or any 5 other suitablesecuring means.

Near each end of the rear axle, just inside of the beginning of thedownward curve thereof, are located two-part castings orclamping-picces, composed of upper and lower 10o members 26 and 27,respectively, connected by bolts 28. These clamping-pieces aretransversely grooved to receive the duplex axle, and when placed oneabove and one below the same and bolted together are firmly attachedthereto. The upper castings 26 are provided with forwardly-extendingprojections 29, approximately cylindrical and vertically cleft,analogous to the projections 19 of the casting 17.

The ends of each reach are secured as follows: The T-iron 24 extends asuitable distance beyond the wooden part at each end of the same, andthe stem of these projecting ends of the T-iron is passed into theclefts in the projections 19 and 29, respectively, the arms of theT-iron lying against the lower part of the same. Around the saidprojections and also around the ends of the reach, the wooden part ofwhich is at the ends shaped more nearly cylindrical, are placed sleeves30, and bolts 31 are inserted, (see Fig. 4,) which hold all the partsfirmly together. The manner of attachment is similar at each end of thereaches. It will be obvious that instead of reaches constructed asherein described ordinary tubings, the ends thereof being brazed to theprojections 19 and 29, may be employed, or even ordinary wooden reachesbolted or otherwise suitably secured at their ends, without departingfrom the spirit of my invention.

The casting 17, constituting the upper member of the fifth-wheel, isprovided with lateral projections 32 on each side of the head of thebolt 20, the space between same being wide enough to permit access tothe bolthead. These lateral projections serve as supports for theelliptic spring 33, which is secured thereto, and to the upper surfaceof which is secured the bracket 34, which supports the front end of thevehicle-body 38. The rear end of the vehicle-body is supported by anelliptic spring 30, the lower part of which is mounted upon a bracket36, at the upper ends of which are forward projections 37, transverselygrooved on their lower sides to receive the duplex axle and havingbolted thereto corresponding lower pieces, (not appearing in thedrawings,) the construction being analogous to the two-part clamp 26 27heretofore described.

I prefer to use in connection with the other parts of my improvedrunning-gear herein described wire-spoked wheels provided with pneumatictires on account of their possessing a maximum of strength andresiliency, thus securing easy riding with a minimum of weight; but anysuitable form of wheel may be employed, and I do not limit myself to theuse of wheels of any kind whatever, it being obvious that to employrunners instead of wheels would be Within the spirit of my invention. Itwill also be obvious that various other unimportant changes may be madeand equivalents substituted for parts herein described Without departingfrom the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In a vehicle frame or running-gear, the combination with afifth-wheel comprising an upper and a lower member, the upper memberhaving backwardly-extendin g bifurcated projections; and a rear axle anddevices at tached thereto having forwardly-extending bifurcatedprojections; of reaches, each comprising a T-iron and a rod or barshorter than said T-iron and provided with a longitudinal channel orrecess; the stem or leg of said T- ironat its ends being insertedbetween the bifurcated ends of the said projections respectively andbetween its ends being inserted in the channel or recess of the said rodor bar; and means for securing the ends of said reaches to saidprojections respectively.

2. In a vehicle frame or running-gear, the combination with afifth-wheel comprising an upper and a lower member, the upper memberhaving backwardly-extending bifurcated projections; and a rear axle anddevices attached thereto having forwardly-extending bifurcatedprojections; of reaches, each comprising a T-iron and a rod or barshorter than said T-iron and provided With a longitudinal channel orrecess; the stem or leg of said T- iron at its ends being insertedbetween the bifurcated ends of the said projections re spectively andbetween its ends being inserted in the channel or recess of the said rodor bar; and bolts passing through said bifurcated ends of saidprojections and through the ends of said T-irons inserted between thesame.

3. In a vehicle frame or running gear, the combination with afifth-wheel comprising an upper and a lower member, the upper mem berhaving backwardly-extending bifurcated projections; and a rear axle anddevices attached thereto having forwardly-extending bifurcatedprojections; of reaches, each comprising a T-iron and a rod or barshorter than said T-iron and provided with a longitudinal channel orrecess; the stem or leg of said T- iron at its ends being insertedbetween the bifurcated ends of the said projections respectively andbetween its ends being inserted in the channel or recess of the said rodor bar; and means for securing the ends of said reaches to saidprojections respectively, comprising sleeves or bands embracing thecontiguous ends of said projections and reaches and bolts passingthrough said sleeves, bifurcated projections, and ends of the T-ironinserted therein, and bolts passing through said sleeves and the ends ofthe reaches inserted therein.

4. In a vehicle frame or running-gear, the combination with afifth-wheel comprising an upper and a lower member, the upper memberhaving backwa rdly-extendin g bifurcated pro- IIO jections; a duplexrear axle, comprising two middle portions approximately parallel andhorizontal for part of their length but bent downward and toward eachother at their ends, and end pieces or castings havinglaterally-projecting axle-spindles adapted to receive wheels; andtwo-part castings or clamps transversely grooved to receive said duplexaxle between them and bolted thereto and provided withforwardly-extending bifurcated projections; of reaches, each comprisinga T- iron and a rod or bar shorter than said T-iron and provided with alongitudinal channel or recess; the stem or leg of said T-iron at itsends being inserted between the bifurcated ends of the said projectionsrespectively and between its ends being inserted in the channel orrecess of the said rod or bar and means for securing the ends of saidreaches to said projections respectively.

5. In a vehicle frame or running-gear, the combination with afifth-wheel comprising an upper and a lower member, the upper memberhaving backwardly-extending bifurcated projections; a duplex rear axle,comprising two middle portions approximately parallel and horizontal forpart of their length but bent downward and toward each other at theirends, and end pieces or castings having laterally-projectingaxle-spindles adapted to receive wheels; and two-part castings or clampstransversely grooved to receive said duplex axle between them and boltedthereto and provided with forwardly-extending bifurcated projections; ofreaches, each comprising a T- iron and a rod or bar shorter than saidT-iron and provided witha longitudinal channel or recess; the stem orleg of said T-iron at its ends being inserted between the bifurcatedends of the said projections respectively and between its ends beinginserted in the chan nel or recess of the said rod or bar; and boltspassing through said bifurcated ends of said projections and through theends of the said T-irons inserted between the same.

6. In a vehicle frame or running-gear, the combination with afifth-wheel comprising an upper and a lower member, the upper memberhaving backwardly-extending bifurcated pro jections; a duplex rear axle,comprising two middle portions approximately parallel and horizontal forpart of their length but bent downward and toward each other at theirends, and end pieces or castings having laterally-projectingaxle-spindles adapted to receive wheels; and two-part castings or clampstransversely grooved to receive said duplex axle between them and boltedthereto and pro vided with forwardly-extending bifurcated projections;of reaches, each comprisinga T- iron and a rod or bar shorter than saidT-iron and provided with a longitudinal channel or recess; the stem orleg of said T-iron at its ends being inserted between the bifurcatedends of the said projections respectively and between its ends beinginserted in the channel or recess of the said rod or bar; and means forsecuring the endsof said reaches tosaid projections respectively,comprising sleeves or bands embracing the contiguous ends of saidprojections and reaches and bolts passing through said sleeves,bifurcated projections, and ends of T-irons inserted therein, and boltspassing through said sleeves and the ends of the reaches insertedtherein.

7. In a vehicle frame or running-gear, the combination with a duplexrear axle provided with axle spindles; two part castings or clampstransversely grooved to receive said duplex axle between them andsecured thereto; and a fifth-wheel comprising an upper and a lowermember pivotally secured together; of reaches secured to said casting orclamp and to the upper member of said fifth-wheel. S. In a vehicle frameor running-gear, the combination with a duplex rear axle provided withaxle-spindles; two part castings or clamps transversely grooved toreceive said duplex axle between them and secured thero-' to and afifth-wheel comprising an upper and a lower member pivotally securedtogether said lower member provided with a wheelfork; of reaches securedto said casting or clamp and to the upper member of said fifthwheel.

9. In a vehicle frame or running-gear, the

combination with a duplex rear axle provided with axle-spindles; afifth-wheel comprisingan upper and a lower member pivotally securedtogether, the upper member being provided with elevated lateralprojections adapted to support a spring secured thereto; and a forksecured to the lower member of said fifth-wheel; of reaches secured tosaid duplex axle and to the upper member of said fifthwheel, comprisinga T-iron and a rod or bar having a longitudinal channel or recess.

11. In a vehicle frame or running-gear the combination with a duplexrear axle provided with axle-spindles, said axle'having secured theretotwo-part castings or clamps having forwardly-extending bifurcatedprojections; a fifth-wheel comprising an upper and lower memberpivotally secured together, the upper member being provided withrearwardlyextending bifurcated projections, and elevated lateralprojections adapted to support a spring secured thereto; and a forksecured to the lower member of said fifth-wheel; of

' reaches comprising a T-iron anda red or bar I New York and State ofNew York, this 4th having a longitudinal channel or recess, the day ofApril, A. D. 1901. said T-iron beim inserted in said channel or 7 recessand projegting ends of the same being i ALRAHAM BATH 5 inserted in thesaid bifurcations and there Witnesses:

secured. H. SCHANZLIN,

Signed at New York city, in the county of PETER A. Boss.

